A blog about business in Fort Worth and North Texas, by the staff of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

03/27/2012

Summer hiring outlook similiar to last year's, Snagajob says

Snagajob, the employment web site that specializes in hourly jobs, says in an annual outlook released Monday that this summer’s seasonal hiring is expected to be “at levels similiar to last year and much improved from the recession.”

“What’s more, hiring is expected to occur earlier in the season and teens will largely compete against themselves for jobs, with fewer experienced workers looking for summer employment,” Snagajob says in its report.

Findings from the fifth annual survey of 1,000 hourly hiring managers, with responsibility for summer hiring:

Hiring levels: “Three in 10 hiring managers expect to hire the same as last year. Similar to last year, one in 10 hiring managers expects to hire more staff.” Sixteen percent of hiring managers will hire fewer workers. About 45 percent of hiring managers don’t intend to make any hires, “consistent with last year’s findings.” In the 2008 survey during the recession, 49 percent of hiring managers expected to not make any summer hires.

Hiring schedule: 13 percent of hiring managers said they filled their positions in February, and 11 percent will complete hiring this month. Twenty three percent expected to finish hiring in April. “All told, 79 percent of summer hiring will be complete by the end of May,” Snagajob said.

Competition for jobs: Snagajob said its previous four annual surveys showed a drop in the number of hiring managers who felt other teens would a teenager’s greatest competition for summer work.

Those surveys showed the greatest competition would come from workers who entered the workforce due to “economic pressure and a tough economy.”

In this year’s survey, 57 percent of hiring managers believe high school or college students offer the greatest competition for summer jobs, up 6 points.

Twenty nine percent of hiring managers felt it would be “easy” for teenagers to find summer jobs this year,up 9 points over the last two years.

Wages still flat: iring managers with plans to hire said they expected to pay an average $10.90 per hour, statistically unchanged from last year.